Tamping tool



W. C. WOLFE TAMPING TOOL Dec. 15 1925,

Filed March 20, 1925 INVENTOR.

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Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM C. WOLFE, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA.

TAMPING TOOL.

Application filed March 20, 1925. Serial 'No. 17,006.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WiLmAM C. W'oLFn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Anderson, county of Madison and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Tamping Tool; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which like numerals refer to like parts.

This invention pertains to a tool for tamping cross ties through the medium of air pressure or gaseous fluids or liquids applied in direct contact to the tamping material, as well as removing the material or driving snow or other clogging material from switches.

It has been customary heretofore to manually tamp stone, sand or gravel ballast under railway ties, where the ties have been slightly elevated to the proper level by means of the usual tools. This is generally accomplished by manually forcing the material under the tie from side to side and tamping it solidly in place. Accordingly there is often a space left substantially under the center of the tie which cannot well be reached, and a great deal of time and labor is consumed.

It is the object of this' invention to provide a relatively simple and practical means for forcing the material under the tie in compact formation so as to completely fill the voids by air pressure applied directly to the tamping material, and to this end this invention contemplates a suitable tool which may be'conveniently handled for the purpose, and which, may be readily positioned with respect to the tie and material for permitting the air pressure to act thereon. It has been demonstrated that by means of substantial air pressure that the stone, rock or sand or other tamping material will be carried and compacted under the tie much more rapidly and efiiciently than heretofore with very little labor.

Another object of the invention is to proride a tool of the character above described which is also capable of dislodging material such as ballast or driving snow or other clogging material from switches or the like.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims: v

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side cleration of the tamping tool showing it positionedwith respect to the tie. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof.

In the drawings there is shown a section through a railway tie with ballast 11 be ing packed thereunder, which comprises stone, gravel, sand, cinders or the like.

The tool consists of a spade-like member 12 to which is rigidly secured a handle 13. Said space member is flared at the bottom and tapers toward the top in front elevation,

as shown in Fig. 2, while being reduced to a relatively sharp edge and increasing. in thickness toward the top in side elevation, as shown in Fig. 1. Said member is hollow and is provided with a horizontal elongated slot 14 extending throughout the entire width thereof adjacent the lower edge, said slot communicating through the hollow portion of the spade member witha tubular extension or fitting 15 positioned adjacent the top thereof and extending forwardly from the front face. A flexible hose or the like 16 is connected with the fitting 15 leading from a suitable source of air pressure.

For this purpose an air compressor or blower of any suitable type may be portably mounted or supported upon a hand car or the like so as to produce a given air pressure which will be forced through the tube 16 and the hollow portion of the spade mem her so as to be forcibly blown through the slot 1 1.

Rigidly mounted on each side of the spade member there are foot rest projections 17 which are utilized by the operator for forcing the spade-like member into proper tamping position in the usual manner, and an air valve 18 is conveniently positioned on the front face thereof. Said valve may be opened or closed by the operator by grasping a handle 19 and pulling it up into closed position to put the device in operation. Upon forcing the handle 19 downwardly, the valve may be opened and the compressed airor air in motion may, therefore, escape through the valve opening rather than the slot 1 1 when it is desired that the operation be discontinued. A suitable means is provided for maintaining the valve in open or closed position, which, as herein shown, comprises the notched block 20 secured to the face of the spade member immediately below the valve. upon which a spring 21 is adapted to ride and engage in the notches to maintain the valve in a given position.

In operation the operator forces the spade into proper tamping position principally by means of his foot and weight bearing upon one of the projections 17, thereby forcing the relatively sharp spade edge into the material. The travel of the compressed air, when it is turned on, is caused to pass through the slot let in a horizontaldirection, as shown in Fig 1. The force of the air engaging the loose material forces it under the tie and firmly packs it, causing the finer particles to fill all the voids between the larger particles. The spade member may be readily manipulated to continually position the same for forcing fresh material thereunder or under various parts of the tie. It will be observed, therefore, that with very little labor eflieient tamping may be rapidly accomplished. While the device has been described as pertaining particularlyto the tamping of railroad ties, other cross ties and supporting members may be likewise tamped thereby as well as all under fillings of a similar nature; lVhile the tool has been herein described as employing air for this purpose, it may be possible to employ other means such as fluids, liquids or gases in the same manner, without departing from this invention.

The invention claimed is:

1. A tool of the character described, including a spade-like member having a passage therethrough, a flexible hose communi eating with said passage for conducting fluid under pressure therein, and a flared bottom to said member having an elongated slot adjacent thereto in communication with said passageway for directing the fluid laterally for engaging said material.

2. A tool of the character described, including a spade-like member having a passage therethrou h, a flexible tube secured to said member and communicating with said passage for conducting fluid under pressure thereto, a handle extending upwardly from said spade-like member, and a relatively wide and sharp edge formed at the lower end thereof, said edge being provided with a slot adjacent thereto and communicating with said passageway, said slot.

opening laterally from the front face of said member for directing the fluid against the material.

A tool of the character described, including a spade-like member having a passage therethrough, a flexible hose communicating with said passage for conduct-ing fluid under pressure therein, a flared bottom to said member having an elongated slot adjacent thereto in communication with said passageway for directing the fluid laterally for engaging said material, and lat erally extending foot rests provided on each side of said member for permitting the same to be engaged and positioned by foot pressure thereon.

4. A tool of the character described, including a spade-like member having an air passage therethrough, a flexible tube secured to said member and counnunicating with said passage for conducting fluid under pressure thereto, a handle extending upwardly from said spade-like member, a relatively wide and sharp edge formed at the lower end thereof, said edge being provided with a slot adjacent thereto and communicating with said passageway, said slot opening laterally from the front face of said member for directing the fluid against the material, and laterally extending foot rests provided on each side of said member for permitting the same to be engaged and positioned by foot pressure thereon.

5. A tool of the character described, including a spadelilce member having an air 5 passage therethrough, a flexible hose communicating with said passage for conducting fluid under pressure therein, a flarel bottom to said member having an elongated slot adjacent thereto in communication with 9 said passageway for directing the fluid laterally, and manually controlled means for controlling the passage of the fluid therethrough.

6. A tool of the character described, in 9 cluding a spade-like member having a passage therethrough, a flexible tube secured to said member and communicating with said passage for conducting fluid under pressure thereto, a handle extending up 1 wardly from said spadedike member, a relatively wide and sharp edge formed at the lower end thereof, said edge being provided with a slot adjacent thereto and communi eating with said passageway, said slot open- 1( ing laterally from the front face of said member for directing the fluid against the material, and a valve mounted on said o in position to control an opening communicating with said passage for varying the 11 fluid passage therethrougb.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

\VILLIAM C. WOLFE. 

